Method of preparing stereotype-plates



J. MAOBLHBRAN. METHOD or PREPARING STEREOTYPB PLATES.

Patented Apr. 27, 1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JNO. MCELHERAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,081, dated April 27,1858.

invention, and Fig. 2 a detail view.

This invention relates to a new process ofpreparingtypographicprinting-surfaces, whereby the setting anddistributing types, as heretofore in use in printing, is eflectuallysuperseded.

The natureof this inven tion consists in using letter-dies for thepurpose of impressing them into the surface of a plate, the plate, orthe material with which the plate is covered, being softer than thematerial of which the dies are made, and thearrangement heingsuchthattbe letters will all be sunk to a uniform depth in order that a castor electrotype may be taken of said plate, forthe purpose ofprintingtherefrom on a letter-press: Theplate, as already stated, mayeither be of a material as hard or harder than the dies, and coveredwith a softer rnaterial--as, for instance, beeswaxand the dies be sunkinto and through the wax to the surface of the plate, or the plate maybe of a softer material than the dies-the former of zinc, for instance,while the latter may be made of steel-and the device for pressing downthe dies be such that each die will penetrate anniform distance into theplate. "For certain species of work the letters may be engraved in also,or sunk in the dies, so that the impression in the soft material withwhich the plate is covered will produce a counterpart of each letter,which is raised or in relieve with regard to the plate. In this case aplaster cast is to be taken previous to the'stereotyping orelectrotyping. The accompanying drawings represent one of the numerousdevices which may be employed to embody the principle of this invention.

The letter-dies are arranged on the outer ends of a series of arms orspokes, 1 2 3 4, as seen in Fig. 2, which represents a bottom view ofthe outer portion of one of. these arms. These arms may either beslightly elastic and fastened to a central disk, 5, from which theyradiate, or they may be jointed to said disk and held up by means ofsprings. The arms with the disk revolve upon a central pivot, 6. Theplate7, upon which thcletters are to be impressed, isarranged upon ablock,13, which is liable to be moved laterally by meansof a screw-rod,9, between the way's88, the proper distance between each two successiveletters. The ways 8 8 are attached to a block, 14, which can be moved bymeans ot'a screw-rod, ll, between the ways 10.10, for the purpose ofmovin g the plate longitudinally the proper distance between each twosuccessive lines of letters.

The arms carrying the letter-dies that are required to be impressed uponthe platefortlie purpose of forming the words and sentences of the textare successively-brought over the slots in the upright saddle-piece 12,and then pressed downward so as to make the impression into the plate.This may be done either by hand or by pedal action, or byany othersuitable mechanicaldevice. The width of the slot s corresponds to thewidth of the arms 1 2 3, and its depth is such that when the arm touchesthe bottom of the slot the letter-die has just penetrated the proper.distance into the plate or the coatingof the plate. After one letter hasthus been impressed upon the plate the plate is moved laterally theproper distance betweentwo successive letters, and another arrn, withits corresponding letter-die, is brought over the slot and ispressed'downward. When aline hasbeen completed the plate is movedlongitudinally the reuuisitedistance between two lines of letters bymeans of the screw-rod 11, and the operation of stamping the lettersupon the plateis thus continued. The lateral motions of the plate may.be per formed in various ways. In the annexed drawings the device shownconsists in a screw, 9, to which one .or more revolutions or part of arevolution isimpartcd. It may also be efiected automatically by means ofsuitable devices. (Not represented'in the accompanying drawm s.

i lhza spoke-disk may be so arranged that it can be removed and replacedby another with but little loss of time, using one disk for each set ofletters. Such a set may be composed of capitals, small letters, stops,Italics, 820.

The advantages of tbisinvention are'ra'pidity of action and great savingof time and; labor in comparison to the usual method of setting Q anddistributing type, which labor is here altosuch a substance as willreadily take and preservetheir impressions and-allow a stereotype ofelectrotype to be madethereof, either directly or by means of anintermediate plaster cast, whereby the ordinary process of setting anddistributing the types is dispensed with, andbut one set of typesisused, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have sFg'ned my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

Witnessesz. JOHN MGELHERAN.

A. POLLAK,

JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD.

